Chapter 13

That had been an awkward chat. Abby was pleased that she had bumped into Nina and had a chance to set things straight. The drama with the photograph had put her into Nina and Rory's thoughts and that was not where she wanted to be. Let them get on with their thing and she would get on with hers.

The chance to make Nina feel uncomfortable had been too good an opportunity to miss. She had overplayed her hand a bit and ended up making a scene. Oh well, it had been sorted now. Nina had been kind and sympathetic. The tilt of the head, the smile, the offer of a coffee had been a surprise. Abby was used to the calm stare and lack of reaction. Maybe something had changed.

Thinking about it, Abby was sure she knew what had changed. Nina, now living in Meadow Lane, must have heard the story of how they had lost the house. The beautiful ice maiden had gone from indifferent to caring and that was, somehow, annoying. She didn't want someone's pity and it wouldn't change her mind about anything.

It was inevitable that Nina would get to hear her story. Living in Fernborough, nothing could be kept private. It was amazing that her dad had managed to carry on an affair for so long without everyone knowing. A few had worked it out, but they were people who worked for her dad and had a vested interest in keeping quiet.

At some point, Abby had learned of the affair, too. She was pretty sure that her mum was aware of it, but she never made any comment. If her mum was happy enough to put up with it, and was still around, it didn't bother her either. Tracy was all prim and proper. Her dad just wanted some fun.

The woman's name was Diane. She worked in the office at the haulage yard. Where her mother, Tracy, was glamorous and classy, Diane was earthy and a good laugh. Whenever Abby had seen her, before she knew about the affair, they had got on well.

Diane was in her thirties, a bit plump, dark hair which was always a little unruly, and a preference for pencil skirts and heels. The biggest surprise for Abby had been that she would take up with her father. Ron was somewhat past his prime. A big belly from overindulgence and a receding hairline. He was a nice enough guy, but the money must have been the major factor.

What became apparent, after the thing with the business collapse, was that Tracy must have known what her husband was up to. The separate rooms and the formal conversations certainly said that there was a rift. There had been no screaming and shouting, no arguments, but the result was the same. She left.

Tracy had filed for divorce once she knew the money had gone. Why stay with an unfaithful husband if there was no payback. No more shopping trips and luxury holidays to make up for his philandering. Abby couldn't blame her mother for the reaction and they had stayed on reasonable terms since then.

The relationship between mother and daughter had always been cool. Tracy had realised early on that Abby was not going to be a pretty little girl in pink and ribbons. She was a tomboy and when she wasn't climbing trees, she was riding horses. That meant that they had little in common.

Ron and Abby were thick as thieves, with Tracy existing on the periphery. It had never been discussed as everyone, correctly, assumed that Abby would live with her father after the split. She met up with her mother about once a month and that was enough for both of them. Tracy had found an even richer man and married again. Abby thought that she was happy, but it was hard to tell because she wasn't given to displaying much emotion.

The other woman in Ron's life didn't stick around for long either. As news spread, she wasn't very happy about being outed as Ron's bit on the side. Diane had dumped him and moved away within a month of the business closing. Abby thought that she had probably done quite well out of the affair. Clothes and jewellery, nice meals out and stays in plush hotels.

Ron was stoic about it all. To be honest everything was out of his hands. The business could not be saved. Tracy was going and he didn't really want her to stay. Diane had never been more than a distraction and he shed no tears at her departure. The house had to be sold, but they weren't left destitute. The semi-detached house, where they lived now, had been bought with a small mortgage and he had gone back to driving.

Abby had watched all this happening. She was a spectator, unable to influence the decisions being made. The hardest thing of all, had been the loss of the house on Meadow Lane. She loved that house. So many happy memories of carefree schooldays and parents, who at least, lived in the same place.